Asthma can be very scary, whether you have it or someone you care about does. Don’t shy away from learning about how serious this disease and its complications can be. You need as many facts as possible about asthma so that you can keep it under proper control. Always know what could possibly happen, learn to spot the warning signs, and be prepared to react if you can’t prevent them.
You should not smoke or be anywhere near smoke if you suffer from asthma. You should avoid all tobacco products. You also need to consider where you see employment. If you have asthma, you should not work in areas where you will be exposed to smoke or vapors as they could cause you to have an asthma attack.
Do not smoke around your children if they have asthma. Secondhand smoke is a leading cause of asthma. While making sure to never light up around your children, it is also vital that you make sure your kids are not around others who do not show the same courtesy.
Figure out what type of asthma you are suffering with. When you’re informed about your asthma, you’ll be able to do more to cope with the illness and prevent it from having a negative effect on your life. People who suffer from exercise-induced asthma will need to make sure that they have an inhaler with them inside of their gym bag. If you know and understand your asthma triggers, you can better avoid and handle attacks.
Stay away from anything that you are aware of that may trigger your asthma. Certain outdoor areas may be off-limits because they cause allergies to flare up. Others find themselves suffering from attacks when they overexert themselves. Pay attention to what causes your attacks so you can prevent them from happening.
If you are asthmatic, you absolutely must not subject yourself to any form of cigarette smoke. Smoking is a terrible habit but it’s even worse for someone who suffers from asthma as it decreases the amount of oxygen that gets to your lungs.
Should you wind up inside a really dusty room, don’t activate any fans. The fan will cause the dust to circulate through the air, which can cause you to suffer an asthma attack. Open a window instead to get the air flowing.
Keep clear of anything that you know to be a trigger for your asthma. This can vary from person to person, as small particles like dust can cause asthma attacks. Others experience an attack from physical activities. Try and figure out what gets your asthma started so you know what to avoid.
If you suffer from asthma and allergies that result in attacks, you can get injections of long-lasting medication for relief. It is called omalizumab, and it is an antibody medicine used to control allergic reaction symptoms. You will need to speak to your allergist to find out if this would be helpful to you.
Unfortunately, asthma sufferers must realize that their condition is chronic which requires ongoing treatment. Make certain you are doing the most you can each day to keep your symptoms under control. Take the proper medications needed for everyday symptoms, and always have quick relief medication by you at all times in the event an attack occurs. Talk to your doctor and allergist to see what is the best idea for you.
Leukotriene inhibitors can help control the symptoms of asthma. It works to prevent leukotrienes. Leukotriene, a chemical substance, can provoke an inflammation that causes an asthma attack. Taking an inhibitor blocks the receptors that leukotrienes normally interact with and leaves your throat less inflamed and attack-prone.
If you find yourself having a mild asthma attack, force the air from your lungs until they are empty. Force air out of your lungs with quick, powerful exhalations. This will force the air from your lungs. Then take three quick breaths, next a deeper breath till your lungs fill with air, then repeat the forceful exhalation again. Paying attention this way will help you stabilize your breathing and make it rhythmic. It also keeps air flowing out of the lung,s so that you can refill them. There may be periods of harsh coughing and a substantial generation of sputum, but this is actually what you want in order to get the airways opened and the breathing back on a regular pattern.
Make sure you are taking plenty of Vitamins E and C if you suffer from asthma. These vitamins make lungs function better and keep symptoms of asthma under control. You can choose to ingest this vitamins by eating foods that are rich in the vitamins or through a supplement. The vitamins work to strengthen your immunities, thereby warding off sicknesses that tend to exacerbate asthma.
Asthma sufferers should avoid smoking cigarettes and any place that has cigarette smoke. Do not smoke! Avoid vapors and chemical fumes from cigarettes. Any of these things can trigger an asthma attack. If you see people smoking in your vicinity, you should get away from them as soon as possible.
A dehumidifier can significantly reduce the asthma attacks experienced by you or other afflicted members of your household. If you lessen your humidity in the house, you will stave off dust mites that may make your asthma flare. A dehumidifier works to dry the air by removing moisture.
If you’re having asthma problems, a dehumidifier is a beneficial purchase. Decreasing the humidity in the house decreases dust mites, which decreases asthma flare ups. A dehumidifier makes the air in your home dry by keeping humidity to a minimum.
Using four or more cleaners in your home can contribute to asthma attacks. Use organic cleaning products since they don’t have irritating chemicals.
You can help to prevent asthma attacks by maintaining a clean home, particularly the asthmatic’s bedroom. Food must only be allowed in the kitchen area, and there should be no smoking in the house at all. Don’t use bleach or harsh chemicals inside, and air out the house as much as possible after cleaning.
When suffering from asthma, make sure to choose products that are unscented. Products that contain strong scents, like incense, perfume, or air freshener can trigger an asthma attack just by lingering in the air. You should also avoid fresh paints or new carpets, as they give off fumes that can irritate the airway. Try to keep the indoor air as clean and fresh as possible.
If you have hay fever or a cold, you will probably need increased treatment of your asthma. Illnesses like this can often worsen your asthma symptoms, which may require that you up your dosage of certain medications. Your physician might also work an additional treatment into your therapy until such time as you are healthier.
Make sure you get a flu shot each year if you have asthma or if your child does. Getting vaccinated yearly can help keep many of these illnesses at bay.
Realize what triggers your attacks, and you can avoid or manage these situations. A lot of people who suffer from asthma have the same triggers, pet dander, smoke, or pollen. Avoid your asthma triggers as much as you can to prevent attacks.
Support Group
If you suffer from asthma, it’s best to avoid pillows full of feathers. Pillow feathers are known to worsen asthma and affect the lungs. This extends to the rest of your bedding, as well. There are hypoallergenic comforters and sheets you can use to limit asthma symptoms.
Join a support group, online or in “real life”, to find help from your peers. Asthma, particularly if it is severe, can incapacitate you and keep you from going about your daily activities. By getting involved in a support group you will also be speaking with other sufferers who may know of new scientific discoveries and treatment plans you may not be aware of.
Make sure that your rescue medication is at hand at all times during your travels. Traveling can make you more likely to suffer from attacks due to the extra strain and stress on your body. You also have little control over your surroundings as you travel, and this may result in an increase in symptoms or frequency of attacks.
Inhalers are important to use every day, but be aware that inhalers have been known to cause infections near the teeth and gums. One effective way in preventing these side effects and problems is to brush and gargle right away after you use your inhaler.
If traveling by plane with your asthma equipment or medications, always carry your written prescription with you to avoid problems. Having written documentation supporting this medically necessary item will eliminate any hassles when going through the security check point.
As you have read, there is quite a bit to know about asthma. These tips are just a few of the many that you can use to take care of asthma, or helping someone you love deal with it. When you work together, you can make asthma only a small part of your life.
See how many times a week you typically use the rescue inhaler. If you use it more than two times, your asthma might not be well-controlled or you may have unusual occurrences causing those frequent attacks. Focusing on how often you need your inhaler makes you aware of when you need to make changes to your plan for keeping asthma under control.